The Green Bay Packers enter Thursday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons with their offensive line suddenly short-handed after a string of injuries that culminated in an official season-ending diagnosis for right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele.
Bako-Bewele confirms torn patellar tendon, plans surgery
Zach Bako-Bewele suffered a right-knee injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s overtime win at the New York Jets and has a torn patellar tendon. He said he plans to undergo surgery Thursday and believes the recovery should take about nine months, effectively sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
Bako-Bewele — who changed his name from Zach Tom before the season — told reporters this latest injury is a complete tear. He previously partially tore the same tendon on Dec. 14 in Denver and missed the end of the 2025 season.
Left guard trouble and thin depth chart compound short-week challenge
The Packers' left guard spot has been a recurring trouble point early this season. Aaron Banks missed Week 1 at Minnesota with a knee issue, returned for Sunday’s game against the Jets, then exited in the first half with a toe injury. His backup, Donovan Jennings, also left the game with a hand injury.
Both Banks and Jennings were listed as non-participants in Monday’s practice report; Jennings was limited on Tuesday. The short turnaround to Thursday leaves Green Bay little margin for recovery or rotation up front as they prepare for a Falcons team that has generated heavy pressure so far this year.
Yardbarker cautioned that, with several linemen potentially unavailable, the Packers could be forced to assemble a starting five from a thinned depth chart. That reporting also noted losing Banks, Jennings and Bako-Bewele at once could reduce the team's available offensive linemen on the 53-man roster from 10 to as few as seven.
Pass-rush context: Falcons present a stiff test
The timing of the injuries is especially problematic because Atlanta has been productive generating pressure without relying heavily on blitzes. Former Packer Za’Darius Smith already has three sacks this season and interior defender Gervon Dexter has produced eight pressures. Samson Ebukam — who has also generated eight pressures — was an estimated non-participant on the practice report this week with a hamstring issue.
Those numbers underline what the Packers face on Thursday: a quick, aggressive rush that can expose a makeshift or understaffed offensive front, particularly when key veterans are unavailable or limited.
Replacement options and short-term outlook
With depth thinning and the injury timetable compressed by a short week, Green Bay will need to mix experience, youngsters and possible practice-squad elevations to field a workable line. Yardbarker noted options range from leaning on a promising rookie to elevating players from the practice squad to plug immediate holes.
Coaches will have to balance protecting the quarterback and maintaining a ground game without sacrificing continuity along the interior and right side. The Packers' staff faces a rapid assessment of who can handle game reps against a Falcons front that has already demonstrated the ability to pressure quarterbacks consistently.
For now, the confirmed loss of Zach Bako-Bewele and the lingering questions around Aaron Banks and Donovan Jennings have created an urgent, short-term problem for Green Bay’s offensive identity. The practice reports this week will determine how much the coaching staff must improvise come kickoff, and whether a combination of younger players and roster elevations can hold up under Thursday night’s spotlight.
